Goldman Thinks Nintendo's Switch 2 Will Blow Away Estimates, Sees No Supply Constraints Nintendo's first sales forecast for its highly anticipated Switch 2 console came in at 15 million units for the fiscal year ending March—falling short of Bloomberg's analyst consensus of 16.8 million. The miss may reflect growing trade uncertainty and mounting macroeconomic headwinds souring consumer sentiments. The console is slated for release in June. Goldman gaming analysts Minami Munakata and Haruki Kubota said Nintendo executives typically provide "conservative" estimates before any new console launch.  Here's Munakata and Kubota's first take on the weaker-than-expected sales forecast for Switch 2: FY3/26 guidance calls for operating profits of ¥320 bn (+13.3% yoy), assuming shipments of 15 mn units for Switch 2 hardware and 45 mn units for software. This is well below [...]

India's Defense Budget Outgrows Pakistan's Pakistan and India have long been at loggerheads over territory in the region of Kashmir and this week saw tensions explode again as India launched air strikes on Pakistan's territory Wednesday morning in the aftermath of a terrorist attack that killed 26 Indians two weeks ago. Both countries have been at war several times and have seen mobilizations on their respective borders over countless issues, most of them territorial.  The last border crisis in 2019 also emerged after a terror attack in Kashmir, which killed 40 and was allegedly planned by militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed. India subsequently launched airstrikes into Pakistan's territory, at the time the first such maneuvers by the Indian Air Force since the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. As [...]

Ukraine's Parliament Ratifies US Minerals Deal In Hopes Of Securing Future Arms The minerals deal is now official and legally binding for Ukraine as on Thursday Ukraine's parliament voted in favor of ratifying the controversial resources agreement with the United States. This was a final key step in its adoption. The Zelensky government is hoping this will more firmly secure future military assistance from Washington. The vote was unanimous: 338 Ukrainian lawmakers approved of ratifying it, and none opposed. Via AFP "The Ukrainian Parliament has ratified the historic Economic Partnership Agreement between Ukraine and the United States," First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced on X. "This document is not merely a legal construct — it is the foundation of a new model of interaction with a [...]